Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Basketball Final Game Notes: 2019-20
4/16/2020 9:41:00 AM | Women's Basketball
A look at stats, storylines, and analysis of the 2019-20 campaign
Final Note Package.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Although the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cut its season short, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team ended its 2019-20 campaign with plenty of positives.
The final note package includes year-end statistics, storylines, streaks, and team information.
Fans are encouraged to continue to follow @EMUWBB on social media and visit EMUEagles.com for the most up-to-date information on all-things EMU women's basketball.
THANK YOU: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball team, along with the EMU athletic media relations office, would like to thank each and every student, alumnus, and fan that supported the team in 2019-20. Additionally, the team offers thanks to all support staff, medical doctors, and individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the program.
OVERALL: The 2019-20 squad finished with a 16-15 overall record, and a 9-9 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The 16 wins is the most under current Head Coach Fred Castro. The winning record is the first for Castro (four seasons).
Season highlights include a five-game win streak, spanning from Dec. 10 through Jan. 8, a road win over MAC West and in-state rival Western Michigan, and a pair of victories over MAC powerhouse, Ball State.
Individually, Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd player in program history to enter the 1,000-point club, while Areanna Combs put together the seventh-best junior season by any player in program history (465 points).
FINISHED ON TOP: Although the COVID-19 outbreak prevented the conclusion of the 2020 MAC Tournament, Eastern finished this year's event in high spirits. After defeating No. 9 Northern Illinois in its on-campus first round game, EMU took out the tournament's No. 2 seed, Ball State, to earn a berth into the semifinal round of the event for the first time since 2015. Unfortunately, that game was unable to be played. The run is the best for the team in four years under Head Coach Fred Castro.
EMU IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Eastern played in its 52nd MAC Tournament game when it took the court against Ball State, March 11. After a 64-63 win, EMU is now 28-24 all-time in its league tournament appearances, which date back to the 1981-82 season. Eastern has twice captured the tournament crown and reached the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid, first in 2004, and most recently in 2012.
NOW THIS IS MARCH MADNESS: The Green and White has posted a 46-41 record during the month of March over the last 21 seasons, including a program-best 8-2 mark during the 2014-15 season.
WINNING TOURNAMENT RECORD: The Green and White are 4-3 in MAC tournament play under soon-to-be fifth-year Head Coach Fred Castro. EMU provided the upset by winning its first round game in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons before being bounced in the quarterfinals in both campaigns by Central Michigan. EMU's No. 7 seed in 2019-20 is the highest ranking under Castro.
UNDERDOGS: In EMU's postseason history, Eastern Michigan has posted nine wins over better ranked opponents, including a 64-63 win over No. 2 Ball State in the quarterfinal round of the 2020 MAC Tournament.
EMU AT ROCKET MORTGAGE: Eastern Michigan is very familiar with the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (formerly Quicken Loans Arena) floor, as the school has posted a 15-12 record there, including capturing the 2004 and 2012 championships. The team went 1-0 at the venue during the 2019-20 campaign.
EMU VS. BALL STATE IN THE TOURNAMENT: EMU and BSU have now clashed five times in the MAC Tournament, with Eastern emerging victorious in four of the affairs. Prior to this year's matchup, the last time Eastern and Ball State met in the tournament was in 2016, where No. 6 EMU dominated the No. 3 Cardinals, 67-53, in the quarterfinal round of the event.
WHEN HOSTING A HOME GAME: Eastern hosted its 12th first round home game when it welcomed NIU to the Convocation Center, March 9. EMU has fared well on its home court during tournament play, as the Green and White hold a 9-3 all-time record in such games. EMU beat NIU to open this year's event, 76-69.
MISS 1,000: Junior Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd member of the EMU women's basketball 1,000-point club when she drained a deep triple in the third quarter of EMU's game against Toledo, Feb. 29. She is the first Eagle to reach the milestone since Sasha Dailey did it in 2018 (1,247 career-points).
Lewis scored 435 points during her freshman campaign, 348 as a sophomore, and registered 283 this past season. Just a junior, she is on pace to finish inside the top-15 in program history in total points.
DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE-DIGITS: Redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs was outstanding for the Eagles in the 24 games she played last season. The Oklahoma City native scored in double-figures in each contest. In all, Combs averaged a team-best 19.4 points per game.
Combs scored a team-best 23 points against both NIU, March 9, and Ball State, March 11. The performances were her 11th and 12th of 20+ points this season.
The 24-game double-digit streak is was second-best in the MAC behind CMU's Micaela Kelly (30 games). The duo was the only pair in the MAC to have scored 10+ points in every game that they participated in during the 2019-20 season.
TOP-10 JUNIOR: With her 23-point performance against BSU in the quarterfinal round of the MAC tournament, March 11, redshirt junior Areanna Combs etched herself into the EMU record books. The first-year Eagle is now No. 7 all-time on the list of points scored in a junior season, with 465.
COMBS NAMED TO ALL-MAC TEAMS: Eastern Michigan redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs was named to multiple 2020 All-Mid-American Conference teams, the league office announced Tuesday, March 10. The All-MAC teams are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Combs garnered both Second Team All-MAC and MAC All-Defensive Team honors, becoming the first EMU student-athlete to earn either honor since the 2015-16 campaign when Cha Sweeney and Janay Morton were honored in the two categories, respectively. Combs is just the second Eagle in program history to earn all-defensive honors, and brings home the school's 17th nod on the Second-Team All-MAC list.
ACADEMIC ALL-MAC: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team saw a trio of sophomore student-athletes named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team, the league office announced Tuesday, April 7. Jenna Annecchiarico, Kiara Johnson, and Natalia Pineda joined a group of 56 student-athletes from around the conference who were named to the 2020 squad. The honor is the first for all three players.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
Annecchiarico, who holds a 3.31, played in 28 games for the Green and White during the 2019-20 campaign, making 22 starts along the way. A floor general by definition, she finished first in the conference with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and notched an 11th-place finish in assists per game, with 3.3. The second-year standout was stout on the defensive end of the court as she registered 1.9 steals per game, 11th in the league, and put together a 16-game stretch with one-or-more swipes per game during the season. The Baldwin, N.Y.-native can score as well, as she put up 284 points (10.1 ppg) in 2019-20.
Pineda and Johnson, who hold 3.42, and 3.79 GPA's, respectively, were both key contributors off the bench for Head Coach Fred Castro's squad last season. Pineda appeared in 29 games and averaged better than 17 minutes per appearance. A three-point specialist, she knocked down 16 long balls during the season and also added 73 boards. Johnson, a force down low, collected 127 rebounds and registered 117 points on the season to help the Eagles record a 16-15 overall record.
UPPERCLASSMEN UPPED THEIR GAMES: Eastern's upperclassmen trio of redshirt juniors Areanna Combs and Corrione Cardwell, along with junior Courtnie Lewis, stepped up their game late in the season for EMU. Together, the three combined to average 15.8 points each per game in Eastern's last four contests of the 2019-20 season. Overall, the trio accounted for 74 percent (190-of-258) of the team's total points in that stretch.
TOP-TIER SCORE-STOPPERS: EMU's defense has established itself as one of the very best in the league in 2019-20. The unit allowed just 65.4 points per game, which ranked second in the MAC. EMU held Toledo to just 46 points on Feb. 29, UT's lowest point total in 25 games (Nov. 9 vs. Dayton). EMU followed that up by giving up just 53 to WMU, March 4.
GOT IT DONE ON D: Eastern Michigan's high intensity defense caused opponents fits this season. The Eagles forced the opposition into 15+ turnovers 22 times, while picking their pockets 10+ times in nine of their 29 games. EMU's 17.8 forced turnovers per game were the third-most in the MAC in 2019-20.
MOVE OVER PITT, YPSI IS THE STEAL CITY: EMU's defense was fantastic all season, and that is evidenced by its ability to steal the rock. The Eagles finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference with 8.58 steals per game, and racked up 266 total steals this past season. Redshirt junior Areanna Combs led the team and finished fourth in the MAC with a 2.3 SPG average.
BIG TIME BOARDS: EMU provided itself with an abundance of second-chance opportunities this past season. The Eagles finished second in the conference with 13.2 offensive rebounds per game, and ranked third in the league in rebounding offense (40.5 ppg).
LINE OR DIE: Free throws were a crucial ingredient for winning basketball games during the 2019-20 campaign. When Eastern had more free throw attempts than its opponents, it was 10-1 on the season. When it had less attempts or even attempts, the Eagles were just 6-14.
FREE THROW WOES: The Eagles finished 12th in the league in free throw percentage (61.8%), something it must improve on to win the MAC title in 2021. The good news? EMU was second in the league in total attempts (626), which means there are points ready to be captured by the Green and White.
THANKS FOR ASSISTING: Sophomore guard Jenna Annecchiarico was one of the best in the MAC at dishing the rock this past season. She tallied a team-leading five helpers against Ohio, Feb. 5, which marked the third (of four) times that she racked up five-plus assists in a game. Her 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio was first in the league, while her 3.3 assists per game ranked 11th. The Baldwin, N.Y. native led EMU in both categories.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS: With its win over Toledo, Feb. 29, Eastern secured its ninth conference win of the season, which is EMU's best league win total all-time under Fred Castro (four seasons). EMU has finished each of the last two seasons with six conference wins.
UNDER 50, AGAIN: It was a defense-first mind-set for coach Fred Castro and company during the 2019-20 campaign. The Eagles held a team to under 50 points three times this season, earning the third notch when they allowed just 46 points against Toledo, Feb. 29. It should come as no surprise that the Eagles are 3-0 in such games.
SHORT BUT MIGHTY: After hauling in a career-best 12 rebounds against Ball State, Feb. 22, redshirt sophomore guard Juanita Agosto matched that performance versus the Huskies, Feb. 26. Although she stands at just 5-foot-6, the Seattle, Wash.-product paced the Eagles in single-game rebounding in five games this season.
CAREER-DAY FOR JUANITA: Redshirt sophomore Juanita Agosto was outstanding in the Eagles' win over BSU, Feb. 22. The Seattle, Wash. native was fourth on the team with nine points, but set new career-highs in steals (4) and rebounds (12). Both of those numbers led the team in the game.
BLOCK PARTY: Although her scoring ability highlights her array of talents on the court, redshirt junior Areanna Combs has displayed the ability to get it done on defense as well. She set a career-high on Saturday, Feb. 22, when she blocked two Ball State shots.
THEY'VE GOT BALL STATE'S NUMBER: Eastern's 64-63 win over Ball State, March 11, was the second over the Cardinals on the season (Feb. 22). The win was also EMU's fourth over Ball State in the last five matchups between the two squads.
ON THE HORIZON: As the team continues to study and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, EMU fans are encouraged to stay up-to-date with all things Eastern Michigan women's hoops by visiting EMUEagles.com and by following the team on social media at @EMUWBB.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Although the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cut its season short, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team ended its 2019-20 campaign with plenty of positives.
The final note package includes year-end statistics, storylines, streaks, and team information.
Fans are encouraged to continue to follow @EMUWBB on social media and visit EMUEagles.com for the most up-to-date information on all-things EMU women's basketball.
THANK YOU: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball team, along with the EMU athletic media relations office, would like to thank each and every student, alumnus, and fan that supported the team in 2019-20. Additionally, the team offers thanks to all support staff, medical doctors, and individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the program.
OVERALL: The 2019-20 squad finished with a 16-15 overall record, and a 9-9 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The 16 wins is the most under current Head Coach Fred Castro. The winning record is the first for Castro (four seasons).
Season highlights include a five-game win streak, spanning from Dec. 10 through Jan. 8, a road win over MAC West and in-state rival Western Michigan, and a pair of victories over MAC powerhouse, Ball State.
Individually, Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd player in program history to enter the 1,000-point club, while Areanna Combs put together the seventh-best junior season by any player in program history (465 points).
FINISHED ON TOP: Although the COVID-19 outbreak prevented the conclusion of the 2020 MAC Tournament, Eastern finished this year's event in high spirits. After defeating No. 9 Northern Illinois in its on-campus first round game, EMU took out the tournament's No. 2 seed, Ball State, to earn a berth into the semifinal round of the event for the first time since 2015. Unfortunately, that game was unable to be played. The run is the best for the team in four years under Head Coach Fred Castro.
EMU IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Eastern played in its 52nd MAC Tournament game when it took the court against Ball State, March 11. After a 64-63 win, EMU is now 28-24 all-time in its league tournament appearances, which date back to the 1981-82 season. Eastern has twice captured the tournament crown and reached the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid, first in 2004, and most recently in 2012.
NOW THIS IS MARCH MADNESS: The Green and White has posted a 46-41 record during the month of March over the last 21 seasons, including a program-best 8-2 mark during the 2014-15 season.
WINNING TOURNAMENT RECORD: The Green and White are 4-3 in MAC tournament play under soon-to-be fifth-year Head Coach Fred Castro. EMU provided the upset by winning its first round game in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons before being bounced in the quarterfinals in both campaigns by Central Michigan. EMU's No. 7 seed in 2019-20 is the highest ranking under Castro.
UNDERDOGS: In EMU's postseason history, Eastern Michigan has posted nine wins over better ranked opponents, including a 64-63 win over No. 2 Ball State in the quarterfinal round of the 2020 MAC Tournament.
EMU AT ROCKET MORTGAGE: Eastern Michigan is very familiar with the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (formerly Quicken Loans Arena) floor, as the school has posted a 15-12 record there, including capturing the 2004 and 2012 championships. The team went 1-0 at the venue during the 2019-20 campaign.
EMU VS. BALL STATE IN THE TOURNAMENT: EMU and BSU have now clashed five times in the MAC Tournament, with Eastern emerging victorious in four of the affairs. Prior to this year's matchup, the last time Eastern and Ball State met in the tournament was in 2016, where No. 6 EMU dominated the No. 3 Cardinals, 67-53, in the quarterfinal round of the event.
WHEN HOSTING A HOME GAME: Eastern hosted its 12th first round home game when it welcomed NIU to the Convocation Center, March 9. EMU has fared well on its home court during tournament play, as the Green and White hold a 9-3 all-time record in such games. EMU beat NIU to open this year's event, 76-69.
MISS 1,000: Junior Courtnie Lewis became just the 23rd member of the EMU women's basketball 1,000-point club when she drained a deep triple in the third quarter of EMU's game against Toledo, Feb. 29. She is the first Eagle to reach the milestone since Sasha Dailey did it in 2018 (1,247 career-points).
Lewis scored 435 points during her freshman campaign, 348 as a sophomore, and registered 283 this past season. Just a junior, she is on pace to finish inside the top-15 in program history in total points.
DEATH, TAXES, DOUBLE-DIGITS: Redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs was outstanding for the Eagles in the 24 games she played last season. The Oklahoma City native scored in double-figures in each contest. In all, Combs averaged a team-best 19.4 points per game.
Combs scored a team-best 23 points against both NIU, March 9, and Ball State, March 11. The performances were her 11th and 12th of 20+ points this season.
The 24-game double-digit streak is was second-best in the MAC behind CMU's Micaela Kelly (30 games). The duo was the only pair in the MAC to have scored 10+ points in every game that they participated in during the 2019-20 season.
TOP-10 JUNIOR: With her 23-point performance against BSU in the quarterfinal round of the MAC tournament, March 11, redshirt junior Areanna Combs etched herself into the EMU record books. The first-year Eagle is now No. 7 all-time on the list of points scored in a junior season, with 465.
COMBS NAMED TO ALL-MAC TEAMS: Eastern Michigan redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs was named to multiple 2020 All-Mid-American Conference teams, the league office announced Tuesday, March 10. The All-MAC teams are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Combs garnered both Second Team All-MAC and MAC All-Defensive Team honors, becoming the first EMU student-athlete to earn either honor since the 2015-16 campaign when Cha Sweeney and Janay Morton were honored in the two categories, respectively. Combs is just the second Eagle in program history to earn all-defensive honors, and brings home the school's 17th nod on the Second-Team All-MAC list.
ACADEMIC ALL-MAC: The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team saw a trio of sophomore student-athletes named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team, the league office announced Tuesday, April 7. Jenna Annecchiarico, Kiara Johnson, and Natalia Pineda joined a group of 56 student-athletes from around the conference who were named to the 2020 squad. The honor is the first for all three players.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
Annecchiarico, who holds a 3.31, played in 28 games for the Green and White during the 2019-20 campaign, making 22 starts along the way. A floor general by definition, she finished first in the conference with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and notched an 11th-place finish in assists per game, with 3.3. The second-year standout was stout on the defensive end of the court as she registered 1.9 steals per game, 11th in the league, and put together a 16-game stretch with one-or-more swipes per game during the season. The Baldwin, N.Y.-native can score as well, as she put up 284 points (10.1 ppg) in 2019-20.
Pineda and Johnson, who hold 3.42, and 3.79 GPA's, respectively, were both key contributors off the bench for Head Coach Fred Castro's squad last season. Pineda appeared in 29 games and averaged better than 17 minutes per appearance. A three-point specialist, she knocked down 16 long balls during the season and also added 73 boards. Johnson, a force down low, collected 127 rebounds and registered 117 points on the season to help the Eagles record a 16-15 overall record.
UPPERCLASSMEN UPPED THEIR GAMES: Eastern's upperclassmen trio of redshirt juniors Areanna Combs and Corrione Cardwell, along with junior Courtnie Lewis, stepped up their game late in the season for EMU. Together, the three combined to average 15.8 points each per game in Eastern's last four contests of the 2019-20 season. Overall, the trio accounted for 74 percent (190-of-258) of the team's total points in that stretch.
TOP-TIER SCORE-STOPPERS: EMU's defense has established itself as one of the very best in the league in 2019-20. The unit allowed just 65.4 points per game, which ranked second in the MAC. EMU held Toledo to just 46 points on Feb. 29, UT's lowest point total in 25 games (Nov. 9 vs. Dayton). EMU followed that up by giving up just 53 to WMU, March 4.
GOT IT DONE ON D: Eastern Michigan's high intensity defense caused opponents fits this season. The Eagles forced the opposition into 15+ turnovers 22 times, while picking their pockets 10+ times in nine of their 29 games. EMU's 17.8 forced turnovers per game were the third-most in the MAC in 2019-20.
MOVE OVER PITT, YPSI IS THE STEAL CITY: EMU's defense was fantastic all season, and that is evidenced by its ability to steal the rock. The Eagles finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference with 8.58 steals per game, and racked up 266 total steals this past season. Redshirt junior Areanna Combs led the team and finished fourth in the MAC with a 2.3 SPG average.
BIG TIME BOARDS: EMU provided itself with an abundance of second-chance opportunities this past season. The Eagles finished second in the conference with 13.2 offensive rebounds per game, and ranked third in the league in rebounding offense (40.5 ppg).
LINE OR DIE: Free throws were a crucial ingredient for winning basketball games during the 2019-20 campaign. When Eastern had more free throw attempts than its opponents, it was 10-1 on the season. When it had less attempts or even attempts, the Eagles were just 6-14.
FREE THROW WOES: The Eagles finished 12th in the league in free throw percentage (61.8%), something it must improve on to win the MAC title in 2021. The good news? EMU was second in the league in total attempts (626), which means there are points ready to be captured by the Green and White.
THANKS FOR ASSISTING: Sophomore guard Jenna Annecchiarico was one of the best in the MAC at dishing the rock this past season. She tallied a team-leading five helpers against Ohio, Feb. 5, which marked the third (of four) times that she racked up five-plus assists in a game. Her 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio was first in the league, while her 3.3 assists per game ranked 11th. The Baldwin, N.Y. native led EMU in both categories.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS: With its win over Toledo, Feb. 29, Eastern secured its ninth conference win of the season, which is EMU's best league win total all-time under Fred Castro (four seasons). EMU has finished each of the last two seasons with six conference wins.
UNDER 50, AGAIN: It was a defense-first mind-set for coach Fred Castro and company during the 2019-20 campaign. The Eagles held a team to under 50 points three times this season, earning the third notch when they allowed just 46 points against Toledo, Feb. 29. It should come as no surprise that the Eagles are 3-0 in such games.
SHORT BUT MIGHTY: After hauling in a career-best 12 rebounds against Ball State, Feb. 22, redshirt sophomore guard Juanita Agosto matched that performance versus the Huskies, Feb. 26. Although she stands at just 5-foot-6, the Seattle, Wash.-product paced the Eagles in single-game rebounding in five games this season.
CAREER-DAY FOR JUANITA: Redshirt sophomore Juanita Agosto was outstanding in the Eagles' win over BSU, Feb. 22. The Seattle, Wash. native was fourth on the team with nine points, but set new career-highs in steals (4) and rebounds (12). Both of those numbers led the team in the game.
BLOCK PARTY: Although her scoring ability highlights her array of talents on the court, redshirt junior Areanna Combs has displayed the ability to get it done on defense as well. She set a career-high on Saturday, Feb. 22, when she blocked two Ball State shots.
THEY'VE GOT BALL STATE'S NUMBER: Eastern's 64-63 win over Ball State, March 11, was the second over the Cardinals on the season (Feb. 22). The win was also EMU's fourth over Ball State in the last five matchups between the two squads.
ON THE HORIZON: As the team continues to study and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, EMU fans are encouraged to stay up-to-date with all things Eastern Michigan women's hoops by visiting EMUEagles.com and by following the team on social media at @EMUWBB.
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